A Berserk Story Like No Other
by Guts-R
Summary: Wandering the world in search of his enemies, The Black Swordsman comes across something that turns his world upside down. How does this change the course of his journey?
1. Chapter 1

A Berserk Story Like No Other

 **I do not own Berserk or their characters, only the plot. This story contains a few OC's thanks to a dear friend of mine who helped me create the plot, but the OC's are theirs. Everything that is displayed is just done out of fun and imagination. This is not the original story.**

' _Yo.' = Thinking_

"Yo." = Speech

' **Yo'. = Voices**

* * *

When the night rolled over the falling sun, darkness was always welcomed without hesitation. The land was bare, desolate but vast and oddly therapeutic to those who thrived in the night. A figure, could be seen walking down a dirt road with their guard up, a black handled spear with a dark purple lining throughout the handle and pole of the weapon being rested against their shoulder, the handle being held by their right hand. With a short hooded black robe encasing their form, their features were unconfirmed by the hood but what could be seen however was the tanned skin of their hands and forearms as well as tight black pants with equally black boots that hugged their figure perfectly. The gentle wind bristled against the figure, making them scoff in a low tone as it seemed to have enough strength to blow down their hood, to reveal the person underneath. This person was in fact, a woman… This woman has black locks on the left side of her head while having white locks on the right side. They have deep amethyst eyes with a vertical scar running down her left eye, tanned skin and slightly curled horns on either side of her head which meant, she was no ordinary woman. She was in fact, a half demon.

' _This should be a simple task. Find my target, kill them and take their head back to headquarters… Easy enough. And considering no-one has ever come back from this mission and the bounty is moronically high, it may take longer. No matter.'_

A sudden rustle of leaves brought the woman out of her thoughts, making her feet stop her dead in her tracks as her eyes scanned the shadowed bushes and trees beside the road. After a moment of not seeing anything suspicious around her, she began to walk once more to track down her target.

Unbeknownst to her however, another lone figure was meandering carefully through some woodland to make sure their position was not compromised by anything nearby but luckily for them, the darkness easily contrasted their form to help blend in with the surroundings. The figure could be seen swiftly walking around the trees, a dark coloured eye that could be considered obsidian was looking around in sharp glances to try and see if anything was suspicious around them… However, it wasn't long before their body stopped when they felt a sudden presence nearby, which made them instantly go on guard as the gentle breeze made their own black, tattered cloak swish passed their body. This gave a good look of the person, even in the darkness.

Iron armour plastered the front of their legs and boots, leading it up to a waist band belt which held a small bag on the right side of their waist and a simple knife just before it. Moving up to the upper body, this held an iron chest piece while also wearing a leather strap across their chest, starting from the left side of their shoulder, down to their right waist which held a few iron throwing knives in their own single slots. Upon their left shoulder, held a black iron shoulder and bicep guard but to complete the set, there was a mechanism that was nothing short of a magnificent piece of work. This was an iron prosthetic arm, which was more than it seemed to be… The other arm, their right arm to be exact, was covered in bandages from their mid-forearm to their hand, covering the entirety of the back of the hand and palm. Their hair was pure black, just like the darkness but for some reason, at the left of their fringe held a small patch of white which somehow went with the rigged look they had. Their features were rough, strong and the definition of cold though if one were to look closely in the one eye of the person, they would see nothing but pain… And pure hatred.

' _I can't draw attention to myself. Not to mention this wound on my hip isn't helping… Shit.'_

Low whispers and inhuman noises began to fill stale air around the half demon woman, making her breathing calm and slow while her senses went to work to try and pinpoint where these noises were coming from. It wasn't long until a dark purple shadow began to form around the treeline next to the road she was casually walking only moments ago, soon forming to reveal many different shapes of yellow looking orbs and sharp fingers that seemed to be made of bark, metal or bone though neither mattered. The woman knew what she was up against and it was wise to not let her guard down, no matter how inferior these little shadows were to her.

' _Spirits… So soon? No matter. Perhaps, with some luck, I can draw out my bounty by making enough noise?'_

The plan of course wasn't the best but the trail on her prey had gone cold, but she wasn't going to give up such a high paying bounty for some little setback. The footprints, the blood and noise from following them had suddenly vanished and yes, it was irritating that they were delaying the inevitable, but it shouldn't take too long by her calculations. Seeing the shadows of darkness begin seep out of their hiding places, the robed woman found herself smiling almost wickedly as she readied her weapon for combat though it really didn't take long for one of the stray souls to swipe at her with their claws, which met air but as soon as their attack end, a spear head was thrusted through their skull without a moment's pause.

Nearby however, the other lone figure felt a pulsating ache in the back of their neck as the presence of spirits began to seep into the physical world once more and they knew it was going to be another long night… They forgot how many sleepless nights they had, how many spirits they had killed, how many innocents these spirits had killed and how many had been killed and claimed to their numbers. Still, this wasn't the time to be thinking of such things since it wasn't his problem or fault if they ended up dead. He stopped caring about ants on the road a long time ago… Only the strong survive. The weak die. A dark grin seemed to spread across their rough yet scarred face as they decided it was time to kill something and what better way to do it than to jump in to the lion's den? They could hear the sudden sound of fighting nearby and he couldn't wait to remove the unwanted presence from his path. So, without hesitation, the cloaked figure made their way towards the local presence.

' _God's little miracles… How pathetic.'_

With the half demon woman, she was easily dispatching the shadow spirits with her spear by twirling it around like a whirlwind but made her attacks just as precise as any arrow and as brutal as any axe. There was no stopping her movements, no matter how many spirits seemed to appear but nonetheless, she could easily feel the presence of something drawing themselves closer and closer to her position. Whether it was a larger spirit or something else, she couldn't as it seemed to be moving at high speeds, but she wasn't deterred by the sudden occurrence… She would kill them too until her bounty arrived or until she ran out of toys to play with. Luckily for her though, she didn't have to wait too long as she felt her wicked smile grow wider as she felt the presence finally break away from the treeline and into her vicinity upon the dirt road. With her back turned the figure, she finally releases one last slash of her spear across the final one of the spirits, the dust particles becoming one with the air around them just like its brethren. When the black robed woman turned to face her new opponent, her amethyst eyes stared curiously at the newcomer as she took in the form of them and honestly, she wasn't all that impressed, but she was given special orders with this one. It was not wise to lower her guard… Ever. Despite only seeing this figure for a matter of a few seconds, she could already feel the hatred rolling off them which made even such beings like her feel the air around her become thick and heavy. With a small tug at the corner of the half demon's lips, she rested her spear against her shoulder before speaking out to them in a confident yet oddly alluring tone…

"So, you've come to hunt me? Unexpected but easier…"

Still, even though her voice was confident; if one were to look closely they would be able to see a surging anger in those amethyst eyes but also, a faint hint of fear from her own human soul.

' _Fool… He is no different from any other mark.'_

"What are you? I've seen and attacked many things in my time but…"

The half demon seemed mildly confused at this human since she wasn't expecting to feel this much energy from him, let alone emotion. She drowned her thoughts for the moment as she prepared for anything. Her eyes began to follow the figure's movements, seeing a slow bandaged hand rise to clasp itself around a just as bandaged handle on their back. Raising an eyebrow at what this man could be hiding as well as the futility it was to fight, she watched closely until the object was fully revealed… And was gently thrusted into the earth beneath the man's feet. Even she could tell in this darkness of what he was holding, and it certainly didn't take long for her to hesitate in her judgement for a moment, however, she steeled her resolve and held firm.

Glancing from what seemed to be the largest sword she had ever laid eyes upon to the man's obsidian coloured eye, which held nothing but an icy cold glare. Her grip on her spear tightened.

"God's miracles… You shouldn't have crawled out of your den."

The figure found themselves taking a heavy step forward, lifting the freakishly large blade with ease and resting it on their own shoulder. The woman across from the man felt her brow furrow in slight annoyance… What the hell was this? Did the air suddenly get colder?

"As for what I am… I'm human. From what I sense in you, you're not of this world. I want information. Don't comply… I'll crush you."

The half demon knew immediately that this was no idle threat that could just be flung around like a noble's tossing away loose change, no this man held no form of playfulness in their tone and posture. He seemed very intent on killing her… Which was fortunate, because she was hoping on this human could entertain her. However, before her mind even comprehended anything, she felt herself hesitate physically to do anything but that didn't stop words from escaping her lips either.

"You're injured."

Where in the world did that come from? Now that she was finally over her comprehension and inner thoughts of this mortal doing something that no human has ever done before to her, she found herself staring at the figure's waist where a slight noticeable cut was as well as fresh blood leaking over the metal. Her eyes quickly focused on his features, where she saw his eye widen and quickly find conflictions in his gaze… It seems even he didn't expect her to say such a thing. She couldn't even find a valid excuse for saying it but now wasn't the time.

"Do you wish to fight or talk?"

For some reason, the man saw a hint of hesitation behind the half demon's gaze and it made him wonder why, though he was more concerned with the fact at how she knew he was injured and why she was even proposing such a silly offer. Did she think he was weak? Possibly… But even when injured, he could put up a fight. Looking down at his body for a moment, the man could see his posture leaning more to the one side which only made a silent scowl emanate from his lips due to his own incompetence. His body always did have a mind of its own at times, though his mind still wanted to fight… Now all he had to do wa-

"Your decision determines mine."

What kind of an answer was that? He wanted to fight, to gather any information at all from this demon and then finish her off for good. So, why did his voice say such a pathetic sentence? If the deafening silence wasn't enough to drive him mad, he could feel a surge of wild thrashing within him thanks to this turmoil that has never ceased its existence within him… He could even hear the provoking growls that he knew were full of insults. No matter, he couldn't exactly back out now.

The half demon felt on odd presence around this human, that she couldn't deny but the fact that he was willing to get into a fight that he couldn't possibly win while injured, it was bane of stubbornness.

' _Humans are always so stubborn.'_

Despite that, she knew this was a wanted man and very few even found the courage take up such a job but… Why did she just not kill him now when he was weakened? It's the perfect chance, even though it wasn't a fair fight, but it was a bounty nonetheless. She watched him closely, seeing his body shift more and more to one side but also as the man seemed to slowly lower his sword some, looking as if he was ready to dash at her without a moment's pause despite his condition.

"We can talk, but it seems we should go somewhere that isn't here. Let me guess, bad fight?"

There was a silent snicker on the half demon's lips, though she decided to slowly to the side to show him that she wasn't a threat to him… Yet. She watched for a moment before getting ahead of him but still managed to keep an eye on him from behind. She watched him reluctantly follow, after what seemed to be a lot of debating within his mind. That meant he was cautious… Good. It wasn't long until she heard his deep voice take her out of her musings once more.

"A mistake. Nothing more."

Within the man's mind, the wound was nothing new. Just another scar added to the rest of the collection really… He very rarely took off his armour or anything, so what was the point in caring? He never cared of his appearance so there was no point in starting now. The woman however found her lips curling into the slightest of smiles before facing forward, leading him down the road. It seemed the spirits around them have given up for the time being, though it wouldn't matter when she got him where they needed to be.

"Got a place nearby. If there aren't any objections, we can talk while your wound gets treated or just talk about whatever it is you wanted."

Now it was her turn to allow her mind to think about what she just said… What obligation did she have to treat him? With a shake of her head and a stern look once more adorning her features, she continued walking, though it wasn't too long until she saw a dark silhouette of a rundown abandoned warehouse in the distance. All she heard from the human behind her was a simple grunt of acknowledgement, making her roll her eyes at the response.

' _So stubborn.'_

With the figure's thoughts however, he was thinking of many things that could happen when they reached this destination of hers. It could be a trap, an empty promise, hell it could even be an arena for all he knew… But no matter what, he would be ready for anything. He wasn't going to back down now. Still, it didn't stop the other thoughts from popping into his mind; namely, why she was willing to even patch up his wounds? Why would she even think of deciding to help at all? It didn't make sense but right now, it can be figured out another time. Instead, he felt another tug at the back of his neck which made him scowl once again. They were being followed…

"Company. Care to pick up the pace?"

The half demon allowed a silent sigh out as she motioned him to follow as she began to jog towards the warehouse in the distance, hearing the man behind her quickly follow. Whatever was behind them, it was most likely more spirits and no matter how stubborn this human may be, his wound will catch up to him and from the look of it, it seems to be a day old… Seems like he was on the move all this time.

* * *

By the time they got to the abandoned warehouse, the two figures were almost surrounded but for some reason, they weren't barging into the place like a mob who found a witch… And that was when the man noticed something on the walls near the doors of the warehouse and it seemed to go all the way around the place.

' _Talismans? How did she acquire such things?'_

His eye narrowed in curiosity as well as in slight anger is he was reminded of his past once more. Quickly removing that thought from his mind, the man turned to see the woman stare at him in the same curiosity before motioning him to follow her. He silently obliged, watching her movements while also taking in the sight of the warehouse… The air was damp and already the scenery was off putting but despite not having a better sense of smell than demons or animals, even he could smell the very dry blood in this place and the extensive amount of moss that crowded the wooden beams of the place. From what he could gather, this pace was a supply storage from the war and judging from the mention of her treating his wounds, there was a possible medical bay near the far back… It seems his suspicions were correct when they wandered into a medical room that had definitely seen better days.

Still, it was kept tidy somewhat and even cleaned as best as it could be if the patches of blood stains were anything to go by on the floor and the wooden table, which seemed to be for patients who were required to lie down.

"Remove your armour and sit. I'll be back in a moment."

After she said that, the woman was gone out the door and the man was left in the room… Instantly, his lone eye narrowed as he felt something was off but hesitantly began to comply to the order, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be ready for anything. Moving his hand up to the bandaged handle of the weapon that resided on his back, the man removed it slowly and placed it against the wooden table. The weapon was clearly not meant to be wielded by a human, considering the weight and length but it seemed that this wasn't the case with this man… The weapon was clearly in the shape of a sword, but it was much too big, too crude, too rough and heavy to be considered a sword. No, if it had to be anything, it was just a hulking mass of pure iron. Next came the tattered black cloak and if one to look closely enough in the darkness of it, they could see the countless amount of dirt, grime and blood that littered the material. After that, the armour came off his body which was leather underneath, seemingly giving away that it was an armoured leather tunic. It was smart since the armour didn't hinder his movements against his skin. Once the top half of his body was bare to the world, the man sighed as he felt the brisk air in the warehouse wash over him, making the pain in his waist somewhat numb but not enough to ignore it.

There were candles lit on a small desk nearby, giving the medical room an even more eerie glow but luckily, he stopped caring about that since he was a boy. With a sigh passing his lips, the man lightly traced the wound on his side with his only human hand, feeling the sensitive flesh at his fingertips while remembering how such a simple mistake cost him time on his next prey… No matter. Once this was done and over with, he would get back on track. He was brought out of his musings by the sound of footsteps, making his body stiffen some before standing up to his full height and awaiting the woman's return.

When the half demon returned to the medical room, she was surprised to see that her 'patient' actually obliged to her request but now that he was in the light, she could finally see him properly. He easily towered over her and she was 5ft 11 which was above the average height of a woman and by the looks of him, it seems he was about 6ft 8… After that, she took in his features as well as the rest of his exposed upper body. Scars of all ranges littered his well sculptured body but even she could see that this wasn't one of those body's that were there to look appealing… No, this looked like a body built by war and survival. She had to admit, she was a little intimidated but still, she had her own scars too. She looked to the left and saw the iron prosthetic arm with bandages surrounding his elbow, meaning that must have been where his real arm ended… She took in his features once more, seeing his eye also looking at her with that almost same intensity from when they first met. His right eye was closed and from what she could gather, it seemed he was blind or had lost it completely. She also noticed his hair was short and a little spiky but had a fragment of his fringe turned white on the right side… It oddly suited him.

Meanwhile the man himself was also taking in her appearance now that light was present. It seemed she had taken off her block robe, leaving her in a tight black short-sleeved shirt that hugged her figure which also recommended the rest of her body perfectly. Even he could tell she kept herself in very good shape… He then took in her features and her hair, seeing that they were two different colours. Black and white hair? He'd never seen such a thing but then he saw a scar running down her left eye and instantly he could tell it was a little too deep, but it seemed to fit her very well and it didn't ruin her eye in the slightest.

She shifted under his gaze before deciding to actually get on with her work by placing a small box of medical supplies on the table next to him, quickly rummaging through it to get what was needed.

"Sit down and relax please. My supplies are limited so I've got nothing to soothe the pain. A big man like you can handle a bit of pain, can't he?"

A silent smirk tugged at her lips at her tease, but she couldn't help herself, and it was worth it when she heard a light grunt and grumble erupt from him as a response. He sat down and sighed, looking off to the side to try and focus on anything but her at this moment in time. It wasn't long until he felt her begin to clean his wound and soon begin to close it up with stitches…

"Nalia Daetau, by the way."

…

"… Guts."

The half demon, now known as Nalia, didn't expect the man before her to say his own name but welcomed it slightly while also thinking at how his name seemed to suit him perfectly. Another smile danced upon her lips as she stitched up the wound, making sure to be careful to not make things worse for his body to cope with. Her hands were fast but delicate around the wound and it wasn't long until everything was cleaned, stitched up and dressed in fresh bandages around the man's lower back and abdomen so the stitches wouldn't be provoked by his armour.

"All done. So… What were these questions you wanted to ask?"

The large man, now known as Guts, inwardly appreciated the fact that she wanted to get this stuff done out the way too, so he didn't have to stay here any longer than he needed to. Rubbing the bandages slightly, he slowly looked towards the woman with a cold gaze before deciding to speak in a soft yet commanding tone.

"The God Hand. Do you know of them?"

The half demon closed her eyes, sighing gently as she moved herself as she began to slowly pace back and forth in front of the seated man.

"God Hand… Odd you bring them up. Haven't heard of them in a long time…"

Her features seemed to scrunch up some, making Guts' eye narrow as she seemed to try and remember what she could about them. He just hoped she had any information that was valuable to his journey, if any was presented at all…

"Why would you want to deal with beings like them? Creatures like them lost their honour long ago… Sorry, but I know nothing except that they exist and their methods to gain… Such… Power…?"

Her voice slowed in a questioning manner, looking at the man before her with an incredulous look, her head tilting to the side so she could look at him better… Or something better. The large man however raised an eyebrow slightly before once again narrowing his gaze at Nalia, a silent scowl upon his lips.

"Oi, what's with star-"

"You bare the cursed mark… The Brand of Sacrifice…"

How did she notice such a thing earlier? No wonder she was drawn to him in such a way. Now she knew why her demonic instincts were wanting nothing more than to feel the bloodlust but her human senses were nothing short of hesitant, fearful and curious. It was confusing but very intriguing, though she didn't expect a human to even live through such a thing… Luckily, she was only ever told stories rather than witness it herself. However, the woman quickly composed herself and cleared her throat, folding her arms underneath her chest before turning away from him.

"There is a contract office in the nearby city. It's where mercenaries get their jobs but… It isn't run by humans."

She heard a sigh pass his lips but what he said next was something she didn't expect.

"A demon's integrity is about as high as the pointless preachers who worship something that doesn't exist. Beings that claim to be a God are nothing but mindless shits with pointless morals… And I'll crush anyone who says otherwise."

Nalia turned her head slightly, just enough to catch his steeled gaze which sent a sliver shiver up her spine but honestly, it also made her demonic senses want to fight him and kill him with her bare hands… But even she could sense the hatred behind that eye and it was as intense as it was intriguing. Though the intensity was soon gone and replaced by coldness before Guts moved to put his clothing back on. Just feeling the cold yet heavy metal being placed upon his back brought a sense of comfort to him, though it didn't last as he made his way to go out the room.

"Thanks for the patch up and the information. I'll be going."

But before he could even get passed the half demon, her voice rang out in the room in a demanding tone, bringing him to a sudden halt which also made him stand beside her. He sighed silently through his nose and turned to look down at her but found that Nalia's eyes were covered by her white locks, making it harder for him to decipher what she was feeling.

"Do you still intend to kill me?"

His voice was devoid of emotion but then again, it wasn't like he cared. The world was a cruel place, he knew this, and he knew what humans were truly capable of. In some way, he knew she was the same and it made him somewhat curious…

"…"

Guts felt his patience running thin as each silent moment passed but before he could once again take a step passed her, her hand shot up from her side and firmly stopped him in his path. He looked down once more, this time with a sense of anger which was also reciprocated by the half demon, who stared back into his lone eye with her own fierce gaze.

"I won't kill you… On one condition."

"… And what would that be?"

The large man was more than tempted to shut her down there and then, but he saw in something in those eyes that could only be one thing he knew all too well… Revenge. Hatred.

"… Will you allow me to accompany you?"

 **Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A Berserk Story Like No Other**

 **Here's the second chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

The moment those words left her lips, the Black Swordsman felt his eyebrow rise but his eye seemed to look straight into those amethyst crystals of hers, trying to find something in her gaze with his own cold one. He could see the heat in those eyes, but then he could see something else too… Hurt. Closing his eye, Guts turned his head back up and faced the awaiting door that would lead him back out the medical bay and then out into world that wanted nothing more than to get its hands on him. He could still feel her hand against his armour as well as her expectant gaze which he knew was asking, if not, begging to take her with him.

' _Such a drag… I guess I could call it payment for the debt for my wound. We could just extract the information from this contract station, kill whatever she wants to kill then go our separate ways…'_

With a silent sigh passing through his nose, he spoke.

"Fine."

He heard her stiffen at that response before it seemed her hand went back to her side. The large man decided to open his eye and look down at the smaller half demon, seeing her look at the floor with what seemed to be relief.

"However,"

This time it was her turn to look at him in surprise, which immediately made him see the clouded judgement return in her gaze alone. Still, Guts couldn't care less, especially when he was still giving her that menacing gaze even if his features never contorted into such a look.

"Once I've got my information, we go our separate ways. Understood?"

It seemed even she was expecting such a response from him, knowing it sounded too easy to get an answer out of him. He wasn't to be taken lightly and she knew that, but neither was she… Nalia nodded and proceeded to quickly gather things that she believed could help her for the small trip to the contract office in the nearby city. She felt a little giddy that she could finally get these creatures off her back once and for all, now that she had back-up with her this time.

' _I could've easily destroyed them all before and I still can now… Why is it that after meeting him do I want to go through with it?'_

She knew exactly why but there wasn't a point to it right now… She just wanted to wipe them from existence. Before she knew what was happening, the half demon had packed her bag with everything she needed and was already by the main door of the warehouse, but it wasn't until the door opened did she come out of her little stupor. All that was heard was a grunt from the large man beside her before they left and entered the darkness that was their world.

* * *

However, what they really didn't count for when they left for the city, was the dangers they would encounter. Before it was spirits… Now it was Trolls. Such disgusting beasts that liked to go around in packs and raid small villages and settlements to get whatever woman and girl they could, just to have them become breeders for their kind. It was honestly sickening, and it made the Black Swordsman's blood boil but really, he wasn't anyone's saviour. He wasn't anyone's guardian angel that came to protect them…

' _But after what I found last time, it seems these guys look starved of their needs… Guess I'll put them out of commission.'_

Before he could even utter what, they were, what they could do and how many numbers are on their side, Guts watched as the half demon that was once beside drop her bag of supplies at his feet and dash towards the incoming group. He had to inwardly suppress the urge to groan in annoyance as he watched her take down a handful of them in an instant with her spear but was quickly becoming surrounded. With a cold breath escaping his lips, the large man placed his own small bag of supplies down before drawing the huge slab of iron that resided on his back. It seems tonight, Dragonslayer would be fed yet again with the blood of beings that are not of this world…

Nalia darted around the troll she just stabbed through the mouth with, using their body as a shield while a wave of arrows pierced the dead body before her spear met the throat of the crossbow archer. Moving to the side and dodging a swipe of a wooden club, the woman slashed her spear at the troll but didn't count for the one behind her which was ready to smash the back of her head in with a spiked club. However, instead the attack meeting, it never even happened as a throwing knife pierced the beast's neck and fall to the ground in a heap which made her turn around just in time to see another troll heading straight for her. With her spear still in the troll from before, she had no time to take it out and kill this thing…

' _Am I really going to have to use this already? It's not even perfected!'_

Fortunately, her musings were answered as she saw the tip of an enormous blade poking through the troll's stomach, making her go wide eyed slightly. She looked behind the being and saw Guts with that same cold look he first ever gave her before she watched as the troll's body was flung off to the side and into its comrades. Five more took its place and she watched as the man before swinging his sword in an arc and decimate the trolls in one swing…

"Now's not the time to be on your ass. Fight or die, demon."

A small hitched breath left her lips before she scowled slightly and picked her weapon up quickly and went back to taking down the trolls around them. With a grunt, Guts did the same. Once the small battle was finished, all that was left in front of the two warriors was blood, body parts and a rotting smell that made Nalia cringe due to her traits as a demon… Well, half demon. Out of complete instinct though, the half demon found herself taking a step forward but soon dissipated into nothing but mist before reappearing next to Guts with no blood on her form whatsoever. But as soon as she was next to him, she felt something go around her neck… Tightly.

She looked down and saw said man's hand grabbing her neck with his hand with wide eyes and proceeding to choke the life out of her, but she was quickly released with a light shove, making her cough a few times and stare at him bewildered, her hand going straight to her throat. All she got back was his obsidian coloured eye staring back at her coldly and a mutter she didn't quite understand. As soon as she was about to ask what that was all about, she was quickly answered by him anyway…

"Do that again… And next time, I won't let go."

And with that, his sword was placed back onto his back and began walking away. After a moment, she reluctantly followed.

* * *

When they finally reached their destination, it was coming close to midnight and the moment they stepped foot passed the front gates, Guts could already feel the back of his neck throb and ignite a burning sensation of pain.

' _Seems like they're here… But we'll sort that out tomorrow. Right now, I could do with a break.'_

The Black Swordsman looked to his side and saw Nalia with her hood up, which helped cover her usually visible horns and if he had to guess on the reason why, it would be that the humans in this place don't like to have something that isn't from their world in their place. Discrimination was a very common occurrence everywhere, same as rape, executions of thieves and heretics… This was what humanity was really like. Cruel, selfish and unjust. Guts had come to terms with this but never sought to change something that he knew would never change… So, he decided to just leave everything as it was. It wasn't his problem after all. The strong survive and the weak die.

No words had been given from either of them since the little scene he caused back with trolls and honestly, he enjoyed the quiet and didn't care what she thought of him. It wasn't like they would be travelling together; those days were long gone for him.

It wasn't long until they found themselves in front of a tavern and Nalia quickly went in without a word, with Guts following silently too. She meandered swiftly through all the people and reached the counter where the owner of the establishment was and already, he could see her conversing with him. The large man could see, hear and even smell the things that were happening in this place… Men were laughing, insulting one another and even some had a few whores in their laps giving them a good time, so they didn't have to go home to their own wives. He even saw a few eyes look towards him in what seemed to be confusion, curiosity and even fear… It amused him really.

He was brought out of his silent thoughts when he felt a tap on his arm, making him look down at a pair of amethyst eyes that were looking back up at him in what seemed to be annoyance.

"Got a room. One bed though. Let's go."

However, before she could turn, Nalia felt her arm being grabbed and yanked towards the one who caused the force, which seemed to be a very drunk man with the need to have something warm beside him tonight. The drunkard grinned wickedly with yellow teeth at the half demon, who tried to pull herself away from him but found his grip to be a little too tight…

"Ohh! You look so pretty, miss! How 'bout you come with me huh, we'll have so much fun…!"

"H-Hey, hands off the merchandise!"

She felt him get real close to her face, making her grimace and turn away at the acid breath and smell of this guy… He was the literal definition of revolting. Receding hair, yellow teeth, tattered clothes and a beer belly that seemed a little too big for comfort. The man though, seeing that the woman in front of him didn't want to come with him, began to pull her closer but even yanked at her hood, which finally revealed who she really was…

"Y-You're… D-Demon!"

As soon as those words left the man's mouth, it seemed that the entire tavern stopped what they were doing and looked towards the newcomers. Eyes were wide, filled with fear and whispers quickly began to fill the room.

"What is she doing here…!"

"Has she come to kill one of us?"

"S-Since when did she have that man at her side?"

Guts raised an eyebrow slightly but was quickly replaced with coldness as he looked at those around them before looking down at Nalia.

' _It seems she has a reputation…'_

He heard her sigh and stand to her full height and stared down the man who took a hold of her with a piercing gaze. Not even a moment later, a fist came flying and socked the drunkard in that face, making him literally be taken off his feet and smash into a table nearby… A shriek came from a woman nearby when the moment occurred, and everyone stared at the fist that did the work, which in fact turned out to be the man cladded in black.

"Touch her again… I'll crush you."

Instantly, the room went deathly cold and the air itself became so thick that even the people residing in there felt it becoming harder to breathe. For the half demon however, she felt a swell of something grow within her for a moment before it was gone as she stared at her temporary companion.

' _Why did he do that?'_

But in that moment, she could see a darkness in his eye that she never noticed before. There was a reason behind what he did, and she would find out. Still, despite her thoughts, Nalia quickly grabbed Guts' arm and proceeded to take him to the stairway that led to the rooms upstairs. After a few moments passed, the residents of the village began to converse once more, albeit quietly amongst each other.

Once the two companions reached their specified room for the night, Nalia closed the door behind them and made her way towards the one bed that was in the room. Her bag met the floor and her spear was placed up against the wall before she soon just stood there looking at him with what seemed to be an annoyed yet curious expression, her right hand resting on her hip before she nodded towards the bed.

"Sit. I wish to see how your wound is doing after the battle."

Deciding it was best to not argue this time, Guts moved to the bed, also placing his small bag of supplies down by hers and moved to place the bloodied iron slab next to her spear too and soon began to remove his upper body attire. The room they were staying was compact, but it was somewhat cosy despite the place they were in. The bed was in the far right corner of the room with a simple wooden nightstand next to it, holding a flickering candle. A small window was placed just above it, but it was closed to keep in the warmth that the room provided. He was a little surprised to see a rocking chair beside the night stand but didn't comment on it. Once his armoured leather tunic was off as well as the rest of the little accessories he had, Guts sat down on the edge of bed and watched as the half demon kneel before him, so she could look at his recently stitched up wound. He saw that she seemed to still hold that look of hers and decided to just not say anything until she was done. Her hands were delicate and gentle as she lightly cleaned his wound, seeing little bits of blood protrude from the stitches before rummaging through her bag to get what looked like a small pot. As soon as the substance found his stitched wound, the large man stiffened slightly and winced at the sudden sting but pushed the pain away for the time being.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. I could've handled it."

Guts knew this would eventually come up but again, he decided to hold his tongue as he felt her begin to wrap clean bandages around his mid-section. He didn't exactly know why he did it either but part of him knew why… And it was one thing he couldn't stand. He'd seen it many times but made no effort to stop it but seeing her being handled like a toy just brought back something he didn't want to remember.

"I'm not mad. Just curious. Next time, if something like that happens again and I don't feel like dealing with it, then I'll ask you."

The half demon proceeded to put her things back in her bag while the Black Swordsman just thought about what she said. He knew she was capable of handling herself but again, his body just spurred to do something about what that guy did…

' _Next time… Huh?'_

He almost scoffed at that. There wasn't going to be a next time. Tomorrow, when he gets his information and she gets her revenge, they will go their separate ways and never see each other again. Guts stood up and walked over to the rocking chair, grabbing Dragonslayer as he did and sat down, allowing his sword to rest against his shoulder while his eye was now strained on the door to their room. The large man could tell that his new companion wanted to ask on what he was doing and even he could tell that she wanted him to rest his wound, even if she didn't voice it. He could just tell by the way he could feel her eyes were looking at him.

"You can have the bed. I'll keep watch."

He already knew she wanted to protest to the idea, possibly go on to say something about his wound needing time to heal or the fact that demons don't need sleep… He didn't care about that.

"If you've got something to say, say it."

And there it was again, that coldness that he could never feel but everyone else could. He heard her sigh silently through her nose before she seemed to sit down on the bed and remove her hooded robe. Nothing was said after a few moments until finally, Nalia's voice rang out softly…

"Why did you do that for me?"

"Do what?"

"You know what. Why did you decide to hit that guy for me?"

The woman watched him for a moment, looking for something, anything that could be deemed an answer sufficient enough to satisfy as answer. When she found nothing, she swallowed thickly and was about to turn away but instead, his voice was heard.

"Because he touched you without you wanting him to."

The half demon looked at this man with curiosity once again, trying to search his expression for something that could give away his true intention, but she found nothing but coldness and hatred and… Was that sadness? She opened then closed her mouth when she found nothing to say but soon, she wanted to know something else.

"The Brand… I don't know much about it, but I know what must happen for you to obtain it. How… Did you even survive such a fate?"

She watched his body stiffen as she asked the question and instantly, it seemed his mind was thinking of what happened back then. After a couple of minutes of silence, she watched his eye close and his body slump slightly as it seemed her request was being accepted… But for some reason, she was finally seeing just how tired and scarred the man was before her.

' _Why am I thinking of this?'_

"I survived… Physically. But emotionally, I'm already dead and rotten."

Nalia didn't expect such an answer to start it off but she decided to wait till after to voice her concerns.

' _Concerns… No, I don't care for this human. He's just like the rest of the world…'_

"I've fought demons bigger than houses. Seen things no human should ever witness. And it was all because of him…"

She watched him carefully, seeing his once cold expression turn into one of what seemed to be disbelief, even though he was beginning to grin like a madman…

"It was my hatred for him that kept me alive in that hell. But… I wasn't the only one to survive. They're alive but they sided with him… Then I was saved by some guy who looked like a knight."

' _Why am I even telling her this?'_

That was a good question. Why was he telling her this? He was under no obligation to tell her such things just because she knew of the Brand. She didn't need to know the hell he lived through.

' _But why do I feel the need to confide? Why do I feel like she knows what it feels like?'_

"What about your arm? And your eye?"

The large man had to sigh at that, his mind immediately remembering exactly how it all played out. He remembered what he did to get into that position, what happened, the pain he felt, the hatred. He didn't even realise the slow, maniacal grin that made it onto his face but fortunately, Nalia could only see half of it. Instantly it sent a slight shiver up her spine at such a sight…

"Demons. My arm was clamped in the teeth of one as I saw the one who sacrificed the ones I had come to hold dear. I even saw him hold the one who… Well, never mind. I cut off my arm in rage to kill him, but it was futile. Then, it took three demons to hold me down while I was made to watch…"

Guts' voice seemed to fade after that but the unfinished sentence had made the half demon grow restless at what he had witnessed in that place. She shifted slightly and watched the seated man for a moment to see if he was going to finish the sentence but sighed silently when it seemed he wasn't going to. She opened her mouth to ask about it but was quickly cut off by his sudden movement. He stood up and placed his iron sword against the wall once more before turning to her with a cold gaze.

"Enough. If you're not gonna' sleep, I will."

Nalia silently obliged but sighed as she stood up and walked over to sit in the chair Guts once occupied. She watched him lay down and face away from her, leaving her to look at his scarred back but for some reason, she couldn't stop her mind wandering now… Just who was this man? Who was he before the Eclipse? Who was he talking about? Why did he need information from demons?

' _A human hunting demons… It's laughable. But then again… It wasn't too long ago that I heard that one of the Hand's Apostles had been slain. The Keeper of the Hounds had met his end…'_

Her eyes went up to the locks of short black hair as her mind once asked the question, just who is this man? She had only heard of the Black Swordsman for being wanted due to kidnapping the former commander of the Holy Iron Chain Knights and disrupting the plans of the Holy See. She shook her head of such thoughts and decided to just think of how things could go tomorrow… Her mind was going over strategic plans for it, so they could get what was needed without resistance. At least, not much resistance. And so, for the first time in a while, she fell asleep in the chair thinking of tomorrow's outcome.

* * *

When Nalia awoke from her slumber, she did not expect herself to feel so comfortable and warm… What was this? Where was she? Her eyes slowly opened, and they met the wall but she looked down slightly and saw that she was indeed in a bed and covered in a blanket. Confusion now in her system, the woman slowly sat up sleepily, a hand coming up to lightly rub the sleep from her eyes while her voice had decided to make itself known…

"I… Did I sleep that long?"

From what she could tell, it was still dark outside, so it couldn't have been that long. But what confused her the most was the fact that was in the bed and Guts wasn't, which meant only one thing… It was either a dream or she was picked up from the chair and placed in the bed.

' _Why didn't I wake up then? Did I just… Crawl next to him and woke him up? Or did he move me? If so, I should've attacked him… There's no way I feel this comfortable with such a-'_

"Few hours."

The half demon swivelled her head around to the voice so fast that her neck suddenly cracked, the presence in front of her making her alert once more.

' _It wasn't a dream.'_

Nalia took in the man that was before her, seeing him look so intensely at the door but it seemed that he even had his sight on the window behind him too. Guts sat in the rocking chair with his sword once again resting against his shoulder, but for some reason, the woman felt at ease with him… Why was that? She didn't know, but she could tell just from looking at him that he was waiting and watching… Even protecting.

' _Like a guard dog. A hound.'_

The woman found her cheeks go a little darker at that thought but quickly willed it away; she wasn't going to think of such a hideous thing. Love was weak… Unneeded. Unreliable. It only brought pain and despair. She was once again brought out of her thoughts by the deep, muttered tone of her new companion.

"I woke up, saw you sleeping. Decided to trade places. Sorry."

Guts heard her shift somewhat in the bed before she seemed to move enough to swing her feet over the edge, but he didn't catch the sight of a small smile on her features which was quickly demolished as she composed herself.

"I could take watch now, if you want to get some more sleep? It isn't good for your wound, you know?"

All she got from the man was a deep grunt of acknowledgment but still stayed seated in the chair while his eye stayed on the door. The half demon sighed gently under her breath at the stubbornness of this guy but then again, she couldn't say much because she was the same…

"Why are you out here?"

Nalia didn't expect such a question to arise, especially from the swordsman before her. Her amethyst eyes stared at him in curiosity for a moment before she smiled and decided to answer his question, since he answered hers not too long ago.

"I'm a mercenary-"

"That's not the right answer and you know it."

So, he could see through her ploy after all… She smirked slightly but found herself shaking her head as she remembered exactly why she was out here in the first place.

"Since being half demon isn't uncommon, there are special ways to strip us of the human side in my world. The males would display dominance… While the females would be used as toys for the males, so they can grow in power until our humanity is completely drained from our existence. Father was more than willing to allow it to happen but Mother… She decided to fight back… She died that day, but I managed to escape, thanks to her bravery. Before this though, we had escaped for a time… But she resented the demon side of me and tried to cleanse me by pouring acid on me… Didn't work, obviously."

The atmosphere between them grew silent and eerie after that, but she looked up at the man before her who seemed to be processing what she had said. She didn't really like talking about her past, but it was only fair, for now. After a moment, she saw him nod to himself before their eyes met and for a moment, she saw what seemed to be sadness in them… But it was quickly replaced by his usual cold and dismissive demeanour. After a moment again, he looked back towards the door.

' _Used for breeding and power… Nothing new. But still disgusting.'_

"Get some more rest. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Nalia sighed as soon as she heard those words come from his lips but honestly, she couldn't find it in herself to argue, no matter how much her demon side wanted to. Turning away from the man and tucking herself under the covers once more, the half demon soon fell into a dreamless sleep. Guts however, watched the woman in the bed for a few minutes before his mind came up with something that made a grin slowly return to his scarred features.

' _Her Father… I'm going to kill him.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Berserk Story Like No Other**

 **Here's the third chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

The cold night had come and gone, making the remnants of the rising sun that much more appreciated to the half demon as she slowly walked through the morning streets of the town they arrived in earlier. She breathed in carefully and then exhaled silently as her attention moved to her surroundings, her eyes and ears picking up murmurs of locals putting up their stalls for the day's sales as well as the local blacksmith that resided at the far corner of the street, but she knew many more were in the surrounding area. She could even see local farmers coming in with wagons and horses to sell their crops from their harvest since winter was nearly upon them.

' _I bet most of that will be given to the Mayor of this town, just so he can sell it off to the Holy See… Those farmers won't even get what they're owed.'_

Unfortunately, this was the way their world worked. Those who aren't in power or of noble birth, work themselves to the bone and don't even get the pay they deserve. What they earn in a year is probably what a noble earns in probably two weeks… It was disgusting and outrageous but, there was nothing that could be done. At least, not until the noble government were taken down from their high horses full of greed.

' _Maybe one day…'_

The man just behind her however had a much more different mindset to her but to sum it up, it went along the lines of _'Why should I care about ants on the side of the road who won't fight for themselves?'_ but honestly, he wasn't thinking of such trivial things… Or things he considered trivial. No, his mind was on something far more important. Right now, both temporary companions were headed to the contract office for mercenaries which held one of the many messengers of his enemy. What he doesn't realise however, is that this is all much bigger than he originally anticipated.

Nalia was leading the Black Swordsman to the centre that handled the contracts, their presence already sending alarm bells to the surrounding locals but really, it was best to pay no heed to them at this moment in time… No when this small amount of peace was about to be disrupted. Watchful yet sharp amethyst soon spotted their destination and quickly turned to her companion, who just gave her the usual cold yet dismissive stare before nodding for her to go. Without hesitation, the woman quickly walked faster towards the two-story building with the swordsman still deciding to walk at his normal pace. If all went well, these demons wouldn't know what hit them.

* * *

 **One hour earlier…**

"Before we conduct anything, it would be wise to tell you all that I know of that place so we're not going in blind, wouldn't you agree?"

Guts and Nalia were sitting in the room they had rented for the night at the tavern, with the man still sitting in the rocking chair and Nalia sitting on the bed with her legs crossed and hands in her lap. She saw the large man silently sigh and nod gently in agreement, her ears picking up on the silent murmur of "It wouldn't make a difference." but decided to ignore it this time.

"Right, they have two guards at the front door and two behind the counter just in case a mercenary decided to get cocky. There's three contract agents who hand out the requested orders and the overseer upstairs who I personally have not met before unless he desires your presence directly. He knows all mercenaries who work for him. He has another two guards to guard his room… We need to get to that overseer."

The half demon watched Guts the whole time, checking his features for anything that could lead to questions but was a little surprised to see him nod slightly to continue.

"We basically have two options in our arsenal right now; one, would be to completely storm the place by force or two, pretend to be a mercenary looking for work. So, what will it be Guts?"

She watched him ponder the two choices for a moment until she saw the tiniest of tugs at the corner of his lips as his lone eye met her amethyst with a determined gaze.

"… How about a good scare?"

The woman raised an eyebrow but found herself giving him a small grin as it seemed that the second option was in order.

' _This was going to be fun.'_

* * *

 **Present…**

As the large man watched his temporary companion walk into the shop and look around for a moment before making her way towards one of the three contract agents, probably to speak about her recent mission to claim his head. Guts shook his head slightly as he thought of yesterday, mainly thoughts of how why she would let him go rather than kill him on the spot… She felt different from other demons. He could feel the sense of dread in the air when he walked by her, the power she held and even so, he wasn't afraid but that didn't make his inner turmoil thrash wildly at the scent she carried. Her presence was something that could be considered a double-edged sword for him. He oddly enjoyed her company, appreciated her silent demeanour and desire to try to converse with him even though it usually amounted to nothing.

Yet, his inner monster wanted nothing more than to rip out her throat or tear her to shreds with his blade or even pommel her to death, just for being a demon. It was a primal rage, something he could control but when released, it was almost impossible to stop. It even made him think that she wasn't so ba-

' _No. All demons are the same. Just because I can withstand her company, that doesn't take away her heritage.'_

He inwardly berated himself at that thought but decided it was best to shake it off for now as there was a job to do. Steeling himself and releasing a puff of air that he didn't know he held and made his way into the building ahead.

Guts wandered over to one of the three counters that held the contract agents, his obsidian coloured instantly going to the two guards behind him, seeing that they were members of what seemed to be one of the few Chuder armies left after the _'Hundred-Year-War'_ between the Chuder Empire and the Kingdom of Midland.

"Are you a mercenary, old man? You here to get a contract or what?"

' _Old man…'_

That made Guts look down to a young man, who actually didn't seem that much younger than him, looking at him with a tired yet bored expression. Unknown to him however, Nalia had heard the comment and honestly, it made her cover her mouth to hide a snicker as she idly chatted with the other contract agent… Giving him a cold glare for a moment, Guts nodded and then looked down at the multiple contracts that were neatly stacked to the right.

"Yeah, came for some work. Heard there was a contract on the Black Swordsman. Can I have it?"

The young man felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his brow at the mention of that name but then quickly proceeded find said contract. After rummaging through the neatly stacked list, he shook his head and sighed.

"Sorry old man, seems like that one has been taken. Check some others, alright? I don't think an old timer like you could get that guy anyway…"

The boy seemed to dismiss Guts but honestly, it made a slow grin appear on his lips.

"Sorry kid, let me rephrase…"

The young man perked up just in time to feel a large hand slide around his neck and yank him out of his seat, yelping suddenly as he suddenly looked into the obsidian eye of the perpetrator.

"I am… The Black Swordsman."

Not even a moment later, the young man was thrown against the wall, knocking the out of him instantly before he saw the sword he wished he had never wanted to see in his life be swung with ease towards one of the guards behind the counter. However just as suddenly, the woman who came in earlier, rushed towards the two guards who ran in at the sudden commotion but quickly found themselves drawing their weapons as they saw a spear rush towards them at inhuman speeds. The one managed to dodge the attack clumsily by ducking and dodging to the side but the other was not so fortunate… As soon as the spear slashed across the guard's chest, making him yell out in agony, the spear's tip was suddenly driven home underneath the guard's jaw and into his brain, decommissioning him instantly.

Nalia chuckled a little too giddily as she felt the blood run down from the blade and between her fingertips, her head turning to the second guard who held a look of pure petrification. In a matter of seconds, he met his end by having the spear end thrusted straight through his gut and a quick thrust into the back of his neck, making blood pool beneath his limp body. The half demon turned just in time to see her companion completely obliterate the two guards in one swing, sending blood and body parts all over the place as well as some destroyed debris.

She was about to comment on his destructive display but was cut off when the two guards from upstairs came rushing down to greet them, low roars emitting from both of them as they came to attack. One went for her while the other went for the man near her… She couldn't help but grin now.

With swift movements, Nalia side stepped a clumsy attack from the guard before knocking the back of his head with the shaft of her spear, making him bend down in pain. She used his back as a pivot as she whirled to his other side, swinging the tip of the spear in an upward arc and slashed at the guards exposed neck. He fell to the floor, gurgling and choking on his own blood before falling limp.

Guts found his job just that much easier as the guard that rushed him swung diagonally down at him but with his iron arm, he easily batted away the flimsy attack, leaving him exposed. With a quick thrust of his large slab of iron, the Black Swordsman impaled the guard before swinging around and forcefully throwing the guard's body off his sword and straight into the wall, leaving an obvious crack and a splatter of blood.

The large man smirked at his work and looked over to the half demon, seeing that she too had completed her work and nodded slightly as she came back to his side. He noticed a small spot of blood on her cheek and for some reason, had to immediately supress the urge to wipe it away while his mind began to scold himself for thinking of such a thing. But… Why did he think of it? Today would be the last day they ever saw each other, so why the hell should he think of such trivial things?

Guts shook away the feeling and began to make his way towards the stairs, Nalia quickly trailing behind but unbeknownst to the swordsman, she sported a light blush from when she noticed him staring at her… She too supressed an urge, the urge to smile and tease him for it as well as provoke him with her inner nature. She somehow felt much calmer in his presence now that the threats were dealt with… Why was this so?

Once again, the thought was cut off when they made it to the door that held the overseer, the one she could finally tell to let her go in peace and tell Guts the information he needed to know… She suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her heart, making her stop before the door and hold a hand to her chest. Why did the thought of him leaving make her feel this way? It was so confusing… Would he even want her to stay wi-

' _No, of course not. That's preposterous! He would never want me to journey on with him… Would he?'_

"Oi, what's the matter?"

The half demon pressed her lips into a thin line when she heard his voice, even though it was devoid of emotion. Did he really not feel anything? She silently sighed and steeled herself, looking up at his with her own cold glare before reaching for the handle of the door.

"I'm fine."

Guts raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in moods, his right hand slowly turning into a fist.

' _Was it something I said?'_

Nalia opened the door, revealing a man behind his desk who had short brown hair and dark green eyes with a quill in his hand. It seemed he was in the midst of writing something. He looked up and raised an eyebrow with a light smile adorning his features… At least, that was what could be seen by the human eye. To Nalia? It was a voided form, once human but now no more . His head held a gaping hole where his mouth and eyes should be and looked as if he was a decaying. He was a conduit to something much larger, that she knew.

"Miss Daetau, so good of you to return. You didn't complete your mission…"

"Oh, but I did _Felix_ … And I brought you his head, however, I don't think you'll appreciate what he has to say."

She stepped closer to the desk as his eyes meandered around the woman before him to the large man who was leaning next to the door before moving to face the half demon in front of him once more.

"We need to know where something is, and you seem to have the contacts to help find them… If you do not wish to help us, something else can always be arranged."

The man named Felix narrowed his eyes some as he stared between the two of them once more before placing his quill down and resting his forearms on his desk, his hands clasped together.

"Your father is looking for you."

"I thought he missed the chance to make me a full blood."

Now that was a response he wasn't expecting and even the man could feel the bitter coldness that radiated from her lips as she spoke those words, though she seemed to calm down some as she spoke once more.

"No matter… If you told me his location, I could go see him."

"You already know the answer to that Nalia… You just refuse to look…"

In a matter of seconds, Felix's hand stretched out to the far side of his desk where it seemed something resided but was immediately stopped by a dagger that went straight through his hand and into the desk, holding him in place. A yelp and stern look was all that was given to the half demon.

"No… No calling anyone. I need to know how to find the God Hand."

The man's eyes widened, and an instant look of surprise and worry came over him.

"I'm an overseer, you shouldn't even know of their existence! Why do you seek them?"

"The answer is simple…"

His eyes slowly wandered from the half demon to the human that was now standing behind her with a look that held nothing but silent malice and rage behind the mask of coldness he wore. He watched carefully as his hand slowly moved up to the bandaged hilt of the blade that resided on his back… A few beads of sweat ran down his brow as his features contorted into that of disgust and anger.

"Mere humans-"

"This 'mere human' knows more than you think. I'm hunting them down. They like to taunt… Especially the Princess. She just doesn't know when to quit…"

Faster than Felix could comprehend, Guts brought his sword out and had quickly placed the edge of Dragonslayer against his neck, ready to slash at any given moment.

"We had a little… Disagreement you see."

The man scowled and looked between the two once more, growing more irritated that this had to happen at an inconvenient time. Since when do humans know about the God Hand? It was unheard of! He stared at Guts in defiance, something he didn't appreciate it.

"Your death… Or hers. To find them, you would have to wait for another useful event…"

The overseer had to smirk at that, since such an event only occurred every two-hundred and fifty-six years but since the fifth Angel had finally descended and graced them, such things are just not possible anymore. His eyes went back to the half demon.

"You should really speak with your father, since it might prove useful."

Nalia frowned, seeing that this guy was purposely wasting their time. She sighed lightly through her nose and turned to Guts, deciding to ignore the man for the moment.

"I don't where to go with this, but he isn't what you see him as… He could possibly get us a message through, at least."

She saw the swordsman before her look at her for a moment, seeing him get a slow grin upon his features. He had an idea. Felix jolted as the sudden contact from the cold iron blade removed itself and was taken back to its home on Guts' back, his grin slowly fading into coldness as he stared back at the overseer.

"… Tell her father… That the Black Swordsman is coming for him."

With that, the large man made to remove himself from that room but was stopped by Felix's voice.

"T-The message is sent! As for your other request… I-If a major astral event were to occur, all demons would be summoned to answer the call of war…"

The Black Swordsman slowly turned around to meet the gaze of Felix, whose human illusion was now no more and finally revealed his true self as what he was but even so, Guts was not deterred by his true form. Guts' eye narrowed and for an instant, the messenger saw something that didn't even look human…

"Then I'd tackle it head on."

Soon, his eye turned into something softer as he looked at his temporary companion who in turn, was staring directly back at him with a curious gaze.

"Like I always have. If she doesn't want to go back… I won't stand idle."

In that moment, Nalia felt something swell within her that she hadn't felt for a very, very long time… It made her eyes widen, her cheeks flush slightly against her tanned skin and her heart race for a moment until she felt a hand try to pry her hand of the dagger she was still holding. With sudden movement, she twisted the blade that was in Felix's hand, making him cry out in pain then growl at how the situation was against him entirely.

"I am the child of a demon and witch… It would be in your best interest to just stay still creature…"

Nalia found that warmth being quickly replaced by distaste at the sudden intrusion that was definitely not needed by the messenger, her eyes now staring down at the creature behind her. Guts' lone eye suddenly went over towards the creature that was writhing in pain, the coldness once again coming back into his features.

"Bring a battalion and I'll destroy it. Bring an army and I'll end it. Bring an entire country…"

It was then that the large man decided to let his fury show for a moment, making the creature stare in fear and helplessness…

"And I'll crush it into dust. That demon will never have something that never belonged to him in the first place."

With that, Guts finally removed himself from the room, though it took the half demon herself a moment or two to compose herself back to reality and follow him… It seemed everything was about to change.

* * *

Once the companions were out of the now ruined mercenary contract building, Guts felt his body slump for a moment until he stood up back to his natural height. He had a few thoughts running through his mind right now. For starters, it seemed he had a little more information on the God Hand, but it was still more or less the same thing that the old lady had said to him a few years ago… A major event. That's what he needed. He could carry on with what he had been doing this whole time… Going around the country to find the Apostles, killing them and forcing the God Hand to act.

There was also the grey Behelit in his back pouch, but he didn't know what to do with it and there was no valuable information on it that lead him anywhere. So right now, that egg meant nothing.

Then there was what he just said in there… He said it all without thinking. Why did he do that?

' _For Nalia.'_

It was then that the swordsman looked in front of him and saw said woman standing in front of him with what seemed to be the most genuine smile he had ever seen on a woman. He stopped and all of a sudden, he felt an instant warmth surround him as she took a step forward and grasped his scarred bandaged hand with her own two, proceeding to pull him slightly as her smile grew into a small grin.

"Let's get something to eat, my treat… As a thank you, for what you did in there."

He could see her eyes beginning to sparkle, her cheeks becoming redder and her lips growing into a bigger grin… Had she always been this warm? Had her smile always been that beautiful? He couldn't answer that right now as she was still trying to tug him forward and he obliged, giving a simple nod at her request which also made her beam in sudden delight.

Just what was going on here?

* * *

Once they had their fill of food and shared a bottle of rum between them, the two companions found themselves back in the room they had rented out the previous night, deciding to stay there one more night. Throughout the afternoon, Nalia couldn't stop herself from smiling or even letting her eyes wander anywhere else except for the man that was before her. He still wasn't as talkative, but he seemed to appreciate the kind gesture of a warm meal and a much-needed drink after the few weeks he's had from what she could tell by the satisfaction in his body language.

Now, the large man was sitting back in the rocking chair near the bed with a small bottle of rum in his hand while Nalia was idly cleaning the blade on her spear, her back resting against the wall as she seemed to be lightly humming a tune that was barely audible, but enough for them both to hear. She found herself casually looking up from her task to the swordsman, a small smile gracing her lips. Unfortunately for her, she didn't realise this was happening… Until Guts decided to say something about it.

"What's gotten you like this?"

"Huh?"

The half demon stopped her tune and curiously stared at the scarred man, a little alarmed that for the first time, his voice held no malice or coldness. It was just… Normal. And to her, that didn't seem right.

"What do you mean Guts?"

He looked at her, her eyebrows raised as she didn't see any coldness in his eye either but rather a hidden curious gaze…

"You. Smiling, joyous, happy. Like a child who just got a new toy."

As soon as that was said, her head tilted slightly before she laughed lightly, making the swordsman sigh silently through his nose and look towards the door once again. Why was she laughing? Was it that obvious or something? And why did that laugh make his body feel warm all over?

"You're a strange one, aren't you Black Swordsman?"

"Coming from you?"

She laughed once more which in turn made him sigh once more, this time out of his mouth but instantly his staidness was replaced a small smile of his own as he shook his head. The half demon noticed his small smile and instantly felt her cheeks warm up at the sight… Was he really smiling?

' _Technically it's not a real smile… But it's a start? But how dense can one be if he doesn't know why I'm happy?'_

She watched him take a swig of the bottled rum, sighing in satisfaction at the burn. Now that she thought about it, one could say she has a mild infatuation with the swordsman from what was said earlier and from the way he said it, it seemed he was dead serious on him killing her father. But why was he willing to go so far for someone he barely knows? And a half demon no less?

"Guts?"

"Hm?"

"Everything that you said earlier… Did you mean it?"

Guts knew this question would come up sooner or later and honestly, he couldn't say anything that would probably even answer her question. If he said no, then she wouldn't be like this and she would probably leave him alone… But if he said yes, then that would mean he'd be accepting whatever this warm feeling was inside him. Why the hell was this happening? Was this really what he thought it was? Could he, a human hellbent on revenge and was practically becoming the only human to even stand a chance against creatures that humans could never win against, fall for someone who was part demon?

He didn't know. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to lie about it. He basically made another declaration of war and this time… He would see it through to the end, whether these potential feelings blossomed or not.

"Yeah."

A flood of warmth suddenly cascaded throughout the half demon's being and if she was honest, it made her incredibly stupefied that she become attached to what he was saying this quickly… Did they not only meet yesterday? She managed to compose herself and nod before replying with a small smile on her lips.

"Good. Then, why don't we make it official?"

"What?"

Suddenly, Nalia got off the bed and pulled the large man to his feet, both of them standing at their full, even though Guts still towered over like it was nothing. She quickly took the rum from him and placed it on the bed side table beside him, ignoring his grunts of protest as she did and took hold of his hand between both of her own.

"Shush. Now, if you truly mean what you say… I want you to swear it."

' _What?'_

"My father is a dangerous demon and if he's already looking for me, that means he's never too far away. He's powerful, has connections to places I don't know about and that could spell more than trouble for you. I want to know why you would put yourself in such danger for my sake."

Her gaze could only be seen as serious, fiery, unrelenting even as she stared into his lone obsidian which made him look back in silent awe and confusion but then it dawned on him as there were possibly multiple reasons why he said it.

"I won't tell you now… But what I will tell you, is that he's a demon and he could lead me to my goal. I will do what needs to be done to achieve that."

"But I'm a dem-"

"No, you're not. Last time I heard, you were half demon. Yet you hold some humanity in you. If you wanted to be a demon, you wouldn't have fought so hard to keep your humanity. So, to me, you're human."

With that, Guts took his hand away from her own pair and grabbed Dragonslayer from the side before leaving the room in a hurry, leaving a stunned Nalia to stare at the door with wide eyes. After a few moments had passed, a heart-warming smile appeared on her features before a silent tear fell from her left eye…

' _He sees me… He sees me as something other than a monster or as breeding stock…'_

It wasn't long until that single tear turned into a waterfall. For the first time in years, she was finally crying tears of happiness.

"He sees me as a human… Guts, I think I may just be falling for you…"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A Berserk Story Like No Other**

 **Here's the fourth chapter. Enjoy. (Seems life can hold anyone back…)**

* * *

It had been a few days since the two companions had stormed the mercenary contract station, though for the half demon, everything had been slowly looking up for her. The past few days have felt warmer, brighter and for once, she felt the need to smile in a more genuine manner when they walked along the wilderness to the next place Guts decided to go. However, even if all these small yet good things came by, it seems impossible to move the obvious tension between the two companions that was slowly becoming thicker by the moments. Ever since the night before they left, and the large man had said she was a 'human' to him, that air had become thick but bearable. But now… Now it just felt hard to breathe.

Her amethyst eyes turned to the side to look at her human… Friend? Comrade? She didn't know what to call him now since 'companion' didn't feel right now. She frowned lightly as she saw him revert to his old self after what he said that night but for some reason, he didn't lash out but instead, became more dismissive.

'At least he isn't glaring at me with that cold eye of his… Oh God, his eye…'

She suddenly stopped her memory when she thought of looking into his eye once more just to see that visible coldness in it or perhaps the hidden rage that boils within the depths of his soul… Something that even sent shivers into her core. She could sense it and it intrigued her greatly to know exactly what was actually held within him. It wasn't long until she saw him look towards with that gaze once more, a deep grunt escaping from his person which made her snap out of her thoughts and look away quickly to focus back on the dirt road ahead.

With the Black Swordsman however, he was raging an internal battle with himself and has been for the past few days. What the hell was he thinking? He had nothing to prove to this half demon, he had no obligation to help her with her battles and he was certainly not under the pretence of her little womanly tricks… Or was he? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been with someone of the opposite gender like this for a long time now since he was reverting to his old ways, in a sense. Only this time, he was on a journey for revenge against the one who wronged him and the rest of his old companions… Ones he considered irreplaceable. The Band of the Hawk.

He took in her appearance for what seemed to be the thousandth time in the last day. Her tanned yet scarred facial features that made even the most beautiful woman or even the most beautiful sunset pale in comparison. Her slender yet fairly muscular form, from what he could see, was nothing short of mind boggling if he was honest since he didn't expect such a woman of her stature to hold that much force… But really, it also made him sullen and angry at what she reminded him of. Her eyes however… They were something he'd never seen before. For some reason, they even made HIS eyes look dull from how much brightness and emotion he could see in her amethyst crystals. It sort of reminded him of the ocean, how he felt as if he could be sucked in by a single glance and just be taken to the depths of the purple abyss.

He turned away and looked ahead, frowning deeply at his sudden thoughts of the woman beside him but just continued to walk. Still… He would definitely like to know what has made think of these things.

' _Thoughts for another day. Right now, I just have to find my next target. I have to keep searching until I can find a way to use this Behelit.'_

From what Guts could remember, there was apparently a village about another day's walk away from them and that just made it easier for them to stock up on supplies if the case needed it. If Nalia wished to rest there for the night, they could do that too since they had been walking basically none stop for the past few days. Exhaustion is the worst kind of feeling when going into battle… He didn't fancy another fight like the damn Holy See Knights who tried to capture him a few years ago. Now that he remembered the fight, it was pure luck that he was captured anyway.

"Oi, Nalia."

In that moment, the half demon in question was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts as she heard name being called from the swordsman. Her eyes went wide for a split second before focusing on Guts, a light blush upon her cheeks already made it seem like her thoughts consisted of something that she had very rarely thought of before… Luckily for the her though, he wasn't looking her way but was instead focused on the road ahead. Her silence gave the large man an opening to carry on speaking since he could already tell he had her attention.

"Another day until we're there. We'll go through the night. Prepare yourself."

"R-Right."

The woman nodded gently, muttering a silently to herself before looking ahead and focusing back on her thoughts once more. The Black Swordsman didn't understand her right now because of this 'unusual' behaviour that he's never seen from her before and honestly it was starting to piss him off. Where the hell was this cold side of hers? What about her teasing? Over-confident nature?

"Tsk, you're not making this easy, are you?"

"Huh?"

Nalia whirled around to stare at the large man with slight wide eyes, suddenly feeling a little on edge of what he was saying.

"This. You're being difficult for no reason whatsoever."

She could see his obsidian coloured eye boring into her like his sword driving itself through the thinnest piece of metal and honestly, it was very unnerving to say the least. She knew exactly why she was being like this but for one reason or another she couldn't accept it. Just the thought of it made her feel warm all over while also making her heritage grow more erratic every time she thought about it… It was driving her insane.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ah, there was that coldness he was looking for. That defiance. It intrigued him as well as pissed him off. A small glare was all he gave the woman before grunting something incoherently, moving ahead a little faster. It would be nightfall soon and he was sure another night of him killing perilous monsters would drive away these inner thoughts of his companion.

With the half demon though, she could already feel her demonic heritage wanting to gain control over her human side, just so she could rip this human to shreds because he was definitely starting to get on her nerves. Running her hand through the white side of her hair, Nalia heard yet another message come from her inner demon side.

' _Why am I still here with him? I can face Father on my own! I can do it all myself! So… Why can't I bring myself to just be rid of him?'_

She couldn't figure out a single explanation for this but decided to just leave it for now and focus on the task at hand. Get through the night and make it to the village to have something to eat and to sleep, just so she can forget about all this for a few hours. She sighed softly under her breath and followed the swordsman.

* * *

By the time night had come, the air between the two had become borderline unbearable for them both but with the depths of darkness lurking in the shadows, now was definitely not the time to even speak about it. Blood began to slowly seep from the Brand on Guts' neck, making him grit his teeth lightly at the aching pain that flooded into his body… Spirits of the astral plane wanted to come out to play again. The half demon could also sense them easily but unfortunately, these weren't barely worth a lick of salt. It sometimes made her miss fighting the demons, but then again, it also made her on edge for a reason.

Both companions were quick to draw their weapons when a sea of spirits stood before them, ready to take over their living bodies just to feel warmth once again or to see the world that isn't just black and white… The Black Swordsman tightened the grip on his iron Dragonslayer.

"Let's get started. Don't fall behind."

All that was heard was a light huff that was accustomed with a scowl. He could tell Nalia was still being difficult but then again, he could also blame himself for not being a people's person. People got in his way and he never needed them… It was the same with her, but she seemed to handle people just fine. With light a shake of his head, he sprung off into the night long battle by giving the incoming horde a large backhanded swing while the half demon dashed off to the side to take on her own little horde.

All that could be heard was the sound of metal crashing and slicing against the ethereal beings and a few ragged roars of battle cries, but even with Guts doing this every night for the past few years, there are times where he would get too overwhelmed with their numbers… Not every warrior is as invincible as they want to believe. He could smell his own blood, he could hear the cries of the damned trying to reach out for him but what actually caught his attention the most, was the fact that the thickness in the air had become even more menacing than before.

The moment he turned to decapitate another spirit, it quickly dissipated into thin air, as did the rest that surrounded the two companions… What the hell was going on? The large man's lone eye went towards the half demon to see if she knew what was going on but only received a breathless shrug in return. However, before she could utter a single word to the man, her amethyst eyes went wide as she felt a sudden presence surround them.

' _They're here…! Already?'_

Nalia's eyes were quick to scan the area in hopes to find exactly where these newcomers were but she couldn't see them. Her mind was already frantic with her psychological state from earlier with Guts but now this? This was becoming more of a problem.

' _They've come to hunt me again, have they? They haven't done so in years… It seems the message has gone through already.'_

The spear in her grasp was quick to be held tightly as she began to move back to her companion, keeping an eye out for the new presences.

"Guts-"

"Quiet."

Nalia recoiled her gaze to the swordsman and was about to reprimand him on his response when she saw his gaze was not on her. But instead, behind her. She scowled under her breath as she knew they were behind her. She cursed silently under her breath before slowly turning to face the presences behind her, seeing the only hunter that had escaped her grasp many years ago. However, the person or rather, demon, had only eyes for the half demon in front of them with a smile adorning his features that was far too innocent for what he was doing.

"All it took was a single message and I've finally found our little runaway… We're here to bring you back."

"I'm not going back…"

"I never said you had a choice."

There were three armoured beings behind the 'leader' who definitely seemed more than they were, considering if one were to look closely, their skin was a crimson red underneath their armour with thin scales. The half demon scowled at the sudden predicament, seeing the three armoured beings move to intercept their target. Nalia quickly readied her spear before smirking a little, her body already warmed up from their previous battle.

"I won't allow you to take me back… Father will not have me, and neither will you…"

"Ah and I thought you missed me Princess?"

In that moment however, it was then the demon looked behind Nalia to see the cold yet icy glare of the Black Swordsman which only made him raise an eyebrow slightly before smirking widely.

"I'm guessing this is the mortal that proclaimed to keep you? Such a shame that you had to brainwash this poor soul to get him on your side… And to substitute him for me? So cold…"

The half demon felt herself growing more and more angry by the second at hearing those words… She wasn't using Guts and she most definitely wasn't letting him get in her pants either. The nerve! But in that moment, she felt it… That heat, that darkness… Nalia slowly looked behind her to see Guts still not taking his eye off of the male demon but she could sense something within him. This malice that she had never felt before… It was worse than when she first met him.

The Black Swordsman already had a little too many questions running through his mind and not enough answers. He needed information to get his revenge, not take part in some demon quarrel.

"A man of few words hm? I can appreciate that… Kill him but take her alive."

Two of the armoured guards went straight for the large man at the back while a single one went for the half demon. The two that went for Guts were quick to raise their battle axes and bring it down upon him, only for the attack to hit the air. Not even a moment later, a deep clang of iron was heard, and both of their bodies were messily torn apart by the huge slab of iron that resided in the man's hands.

The half demon herself used the precious little time she had to quickly slice and stab the one armoured demon that had tried to take her, piercing their body through the gaps of their armour. A sigh passed the demon's lips as he watched his men be easily took down by this simple human and the one and only half demon that should be his and his alone… He frowned. Her power should be his. The demon moved closer to Nalia, who was also quick to bring her guard back up, so she could finally be rid of one the pests that had took the one thing every woman could only ever have once… Her innocence.

"You couldn't fight me then, what makes you think you can win now Princess?"

"Don't call me Princess…"

"You could've been and still could be one of the most powerful demons to ever walk among us if you just went through with the ritual. Your Father would be so proud… You could even be betrothed to yours truly if you just come back Nalia. What's the point in pretending to be human? They won't ever accept you!"

The half demon in question was about to retort when felt another demon rush right beside her, making her swing her spear round to intercept the battle axe of a hidden demon before feeling something come crashing into the side of her head… Before she knew, her body went crashing into a tree nearby, cracking the bark and splintering it everywhere with her body soon dropping limp at the base of the tree. Blood began to pool from her lips and head as well as her hand was slowly yet gently moving to cradle her ribs…

' _I… I didn't even feel him move… I-I'm still weak…'_

Guts watched the scene before him unfold and quickly came to the single conclusion he could. This guy… This demon was as powerful or more powerful than an Apostle…

"Now that my prize is out, it seems I'll take out the trash."

The Black Swordsman couldn't stop this feeling inside him and he knew it was impossible to try at this point… Why was he so angry right now? Sure, the information he wanted was important but… His eye slowly looked over to the limp form of Nalia and he couldn't help but feel the rage and hatred within him flare. This bastard… He will pay. And for the first time in a very long time, did his inner beast agree with him.

" _That strength, that power, that darkness… That fear. I can feel it all within you darling… Let me see it one more time!"_

That voice… That voice is not welcome within his brain. He could feel her lurking and crawling in the back of his mind, tainting his mind with images of death and despair of that _fateful_ day. She wants to feel every emotion within him, he knew but if he was honest, she was the least of his worries right now. The demon ahead of the Black Swordsman could feel the air suddenly grow cold but what really peaked his interest was the malicious grin that now sported the human's features.

"Pay attention demon. I will only ask this once."

Guts didn't hesitate to bring the large slab of iron in front of him, ready to face off against the enemy before him.

"Oh? So, you do speak?"

"The God Hand… Where are they?"

That made the demon stiffen slightly, his smirk instantly being wiped off his features and was quickly substituted for a low snarl. How did this human know of the Angels? He watched as the swordsman took a single heavy step and tightened his grip on the heavy sword he held.

"Seems you've lost your tongue. Your kind would laugh at you for being rendered speechless by a mere human…"

A dark yet deep chuckle erupted from Guts' throat as he watched the demon's face contort into one of anger and hatred. Their fists clenched tightly before they readied their sword themselves.

"You dare speak their name you wretched filth… I will enjoy killing you human!"

Without a moment's notice, the single hunter appeared before the Black Swordsman swinging their sword down with the intent to slice off Guts' head. However, steel met iron as the sword collided with Dragonslayer and before he could comprehend to give the human another attack, the demon felt something collide with the side of his head. The Branded Swordsman had guided their sword to the side and had used his iron prosthetic to knock the demon away, which worked more than he actually thought.

The demon's body flew back and skidded across the ground, a silent cackle actually escaping their lips as they slowly stood up. Blood trickled down the side of their head as well as from their right ear, which had burst his ear drum. They turned their head to see Guts already in front of them, his sword ready to cause massive damage.

"Now then… Let's get started."

And with that, Dragonslayer collided across the demon's stomach with loud clang of metal.


	5. Chapter 5

**A Berserk Story Like No Other**

 **Here's the fifth chapter, please enjoy.**

 **Also, thank you for the review LunaWolfSunTigeress15! Means a lot to me! And thank you to everyone for the support!**

* * *

By the time Nalia awoke, she could feel nothing but a throbbing headache and a huge pain all over her chest and back… The taste of metal was still present in her mouth and she grimaced to herself as she spat out the blood as well as slowly began to sit herself up through sheer will power alone. Little whimpers and sharp intakes of breath could be heard passing her lips but even as she breathed in, the throbbing pain in her body wouldn't go away…

" _Everything hurts… When was the last time I felt pain like this?"_

The half demon shook her head gently to shake away the thoughts swirling in her mind and the ringing in her ears, which already began to dissipate away. Her amethyst eyes slowly opened up to the world before her, her vision a little blurred but even she could see what was happening.

Guts was fighting the hunter that was sent after her… And judging from how laboured the other demon's breathing was and how beat up his body was, Guts was actually winning. However, then she saw the wounds her human companion had come to sustain too. She bit her lip lightly to prevent another whimper from escaping her throat as she managed to slowly pull herself up to lean against the tree, so she could get a better look at the fight… And possibly help out the human she was with.

" _I was pathetic… Abysmal even. Just how is this human keeping up with my old tormentor?"_

* * *

 _ **Ten minutes earlier…**_

The demon's body flew back and skidded across the ground, a silent cackle actually escaping their lips as they slowly stood up. Blood trickled down the side of their head as well as from their right ear, which had burst his ear drum. They turned their head to see Guts already in front of them, his sword ready to cause massive damage.

"Now then… Let's get started."

And with that, Dragonslayer collided across the demon's stomach with loud clang of metal.

The body of the demon instantly flew back and roughly landed on the dirt ground, blood splattered across Dragonslayer as well as the earth below the large man. The swordsman raised an eyebrow as he watched the demon slowly pull himself up off the ground, a deep wound now sporting across his stomach with blood spilling from the corner of their lips.

" _Not dead? Fine. I'll just keep swinging until you're down for good."_

"That was a good hit… Good power too, for a human."

On the outside, the demon seemed very unfazed by the attack but on this inside, he couldn't stop himself from shouting and growing more worried and confused by the moment…

" _How can this human hit me? No mortal blade could harm my body!"_

The demon looked towards the human, though his eyesight was looking towards the iron slab that he held. His curiosity only grew when his vision caught sight of a pale dark purple aura surrounding the tip of the blade…

Guts frowned at that as his gaze hardened, his right hand tightened its grip around the hilt of his iron slab, preparing himself for an attack from the demon before him. He watched as the demon raised their sword in the air before immediately rushing towards him, his sword coming up to block the incoming attack…

The attack clanged against the raw iron, making the Black Swordsman skid back a tad bit but he managed to hold his ground, even as the power of the blow rattled his bones and shook his vision for a split second. All Guts could see was the maniacal grin of the demon before him, though as soon as the large man tried to push the demon away, they had already quickly guided themselves down and around the man, slicing at his exposed thigh some.

The Black Swordsman gritted his teeth together before letting out a might roar, swinging Dragonslayer around behind him but instead came up empty until he felt another part of his body get cut like butter… He looked at the underside of his left bicep, seeing blood seep from a wound and down into his iron prosthetic arm.

All he needed to hear was the little laugh from the demon nearby and Guts quickly brought out one of his small explosives, dragging the tip across his blade before throwing towards the demon. As expected the demon jumped back and immediately, the human swordsman took his chance to use the explosion and the smoke as cover…

As soon as the scarred man dashed through the smoke, his sword was already swinging in an arc before he felt it collide with the demon, a sputter of air and blood erupted throughout the small clearing as a body was once again sent flying across the earth. A mangled groan could be heard as Guts watched the demon slowly yet shakily come back onto his feet, his hand coming over to cover his bleeding stomach as well as to wipe away the blood that was leaking from his lips.

"Now this… Is very unexpected…"

Another breathless cackle escaped the demon before their crazed gaze looked towards the human swordsman.

"I haven't had this much fun in a very long time… I never thought a human would do this for me… Too bad you're about to die…"

Before the Black Swordsman could register what had just happened, the demon had somehow appeared before him with that blood-stained grin and his saber coming up for a thrust towards him. All the large man could feel was pain and heat run through his body like a water stream through the forest.

He looked down just in time to feel a fist collide with his jaw, sending him across the earth.

" _What… What was that?"_

Guts didn't have time to ponder when he heard footsteps approaching behind him… His vision was blurred a little, his head was spinning, and his body felt heavy and slack… His grip on his sword slowly tightened as he managed to shakily get back up to his feet, his teeth gritting together as he could feel the left side of his abdomen burn with pain.

" _Damn… He made my wound even worse now…"_

Steeling himself, the Black Swordsman got back into his stance but not before hearing a shuffle of weight nearby. He managed to look back a moment to see Nalia's body now leaning against a tree, her amethyst eyes scanning the surroundings…

* * *

 _ **Present…**_

"If you didn't get in my way, you didn't have to get hurt human… I would've taken Nalia back and you would potentially be compensated for returning her to me."

The half demon glared daggers at her old demon hunter, who in turn was staring directly at her human companion. She was about to step forward and help the large man but instead felt her body freeze when she felt that same energy surround and practically engulf the area. Her eyes slowly moved towards Guts and instantly, she felt them widen slightly when she saw his own maniacal grin and his lone obsidian eye seeming to flash red for a quick second…

The demon in turn stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to the side in curiosity when he felt something once again beginning to build up within the human before him.

" _What's this?"_

A deep chuckle resonated from the Black Swordsman as he looked towards the demon with that same look all demon's hated… Make that even the Gods themselves hate.

The look of defiance.

The demon felt his features contort into one of hatred and anger, perhaps even frustration when he couldn't stop looking at the human.

"Stop that…"

Guts' lone eye continued to bore into the demon, his grip tightening on Dragonslayer.

"Stop looking at me like that, insect!"

With a burst of speed, the demon was up in the large man's vicinity once more, his sword swinging across to slice at Guts' neck but all it managed to hit was the air itself, making their eyes widen. All the demon could do was just look to the side to see the look of a beast… No, a monster, coming towards him.

A might roar was heard and before they could comprehend what had happened, the demon felt his body get hit with the iron slab once more and his body crashing into a nearby tree… Blood began to pool beneath him as well as leak from his lips, his eyes becoming more distant as the seconds passed by… But even he wasn't prepared for the bottom half of his body to be completely ripped from him.

Amethyst orbs could do nothing but watch as the only human she's ever seen beat a demon of that high calibre by himself, without the use of magic of any kind.

" _Nothing but his physical strength… Who the hell is this guy?"_

She watched the demon, whose body had been decapitated from the waist down, looked up to Guts who was now in front of him, his bloody sword pointing directly at him. The demon let out a breathless chuckle but only managed to sputter up more blood.

"You… Y-You will… Fight us all?"

Guts didn't bother to say anything as he stared down at the dying demon before him, though he slowly began to put Dragonslayer away from him by his prosthetic, his right hand slowly moving to rest over his abdomen to stop the blood.

"Y-You are a f-fool… Y-You will be hunted…"

"That's nothing new."

The demon managed to look around the human some to see the bleeding brand on that back of his neck… The Brand of Sacrifice. A forlorn smile made it's way onto the demon's features as he looked down at the earth. He finally understood the message that was sent now.

"Y-You are the sacrifice… Y-Your fate…"

"Fate doesn't exist."

A sharp gasp came into the demon's severed body as his eyes looked up to the Black Swordsman once more, though his vision was becoming darker and darker by the second. Before he could even utter another word, the demon felt his body begin to glow as well as decay slowly… The human before him had already turned and was leaving him to die…

" _I was beat by a human, huh…"_

Guts made his way over to he last saw Nalia and managed to find her sitting at the base of a tree, her breathing still laboured and jagged and her head still bleeding a little though it seemed to have closed itself up somehow…?

He shook his head a little and made his presence known by making his way in front of her, his bloody bandaged hand reaching down towards her. Her eyes looked up, widening a little as she saw him but for some reason, she didn't object to his offer. She slowly stood up and leant against the tree once more but could feel herself becoming weaker… She needed rest and her wounds tended to. And apparently… So did his.

"You're hurt Guts…"

The Black Swordsman winced lightly when he felt her hand leave his and touch his abdomen, making him already miss the warmth from her hand…

" _Wait, why am I thinking that?"_

He shook his head and knelt, his back facing her.

"You can't walk. We can't stay here."

Nalia felt herself biting her bottom lip for being a nuisance but it seemed eh wasn't taking no for an answer, but honestly, she secretly didn't want to pass up such a chance to be closer to him. She blushed slightly at that thought and silently scolded herself before climbing onto his back and instantly she felt his right hand move to hold her firmly underneath her.

"You do realise where you-"

"Shut up. My other hand is occupied."

" _And my wound hasn't got pressure… I need to be fast."_

Nalia closed her eyes as she rested against his back, her eyelids becoming heavier as she felt Guts begin to walk at a semi-fast pace. He was hurt, that much she knew, but it seemed he wasn't going to let her treat it any time soon either… Damn his arrogance. Before she knew it, she was asleep and making their way out the forest.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading.**


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